Interesting Email from OFA

I just received an email from our friends at Organizing for America. I'd love to know where they bought my email address.

Friend -- It's important that we know when you plan to cast your ballot Tuesday so we can make smart decisions about who to call and which doors to knock. And if you make a plan and let us know today, we'll send you a reminder and help you stick with it, even if you end up running late or are busier than you expected. Where will you be before you head to the polls? What will you be up to? And most importantly: When are you planning to vote on Election Day? http://my.barackobama.com/PlanYourVote Thanks, Organizing for America

Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to: soliver571@gmail.com Update Address / Email | Unsubscribe I never subscribed to OFA. Never even close. Excuse me if I think something nefarious is afoot.

Seven Days to Real Change

Seven Days. Who's with me!?! Let's do it! Go! Go! Go!

Mequon-Thiensville School Board Meeting

Outmanned by teachers, but not outgunned. As usual, they had snarky comments regarding our concerns and assumed they would have their way because it's what teachers want.

After discussing the adjustments to the 2010/2011 budget (revenue neutral), Superintendent Dr. Desmond Means opened the business end discussing the 2011/2012 budget forecast. His take is that since 80% of the budget is personnel costs, it is time to talk real money and real concessions from teachers.

M/T teachers have averaged 3.43% annual increase in compensation over the last 5 years; a number private sector employees haven't seen. The tax levy has increased 1.49% over the same period, leaving a structural deficit. Teachers need to accept a multi-year pay freeze and cost-of-living over the forseeable future. this is the only way the school gets back on even footing. You can cut all the programs you want; at 80% of the budget, the only way one gets any traction is addressing compensation.

Interestingly enough, the next topic was a new program - 4k kindergarten. I saw the rationale for this all based on "it's for the kids". First, the structural deficit was just the topic and now we are going to add a program? The treasurer indicated it would improve the deficit because they would have further taxing authority. What part of the "we are taxed to death" argument did she not hear? further, there WILL be less state aid. I don't care who is elected. There is no money. The argument that it helps the children transition to 5k is irrelevant. Then why not a 3k program to help transition to 4k? And parents (mostly teachers) are more than happy to tax the residents for the benefit of 140 children? Are these same parents willing to go to a one-income setting in order to stay home and teach their own children? I'm guessing not. This new program would be irresponsible at this time.

Wasserman-Schultz is a Liar

H/T Gateway Pundit:

She talks about all the things that Ron Klein is for and they are all the things with which the majority of the American people disagree. And how "TEA Party extremists express themselves"? She is trying to claim she's been to the rally? She's a lying witch with a capital "B". I shouldn't be shocked by this, but I am. Burnings in effigy? Blackface? Swastikas? She is unbelievable in her willingness to lie. The extremism is on the Left.

Volt Fraud At Government Motors - Investors.com

Volt Fraud At Government Motors - Investors.com

No big surprise here.

George Soros' War Against Fox News - Investors.com

George Soros' War Against Fox News - Investors.com

I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise. Most people are just now getting to know the name "George Soros", but he has been actively using his billions to not only influence US, but world politics for years. There is very little unbiased historical information outside of Wikipedia, so take the things I am saying here with the proverbial grain of salt.

Soros appears to be heavily influenced by his early life during the Nazi occupation of Hungary:

The Jewish Council asked the little kids to hand out the deportation notices. I was told to go to the Jewish Council. And there I was given these small slips of paper...It said report to the rabbi seminary at 9 a.m....And I was given this list of names. I took this piece of paper to my father. He instantly recognized it. This was a list of Hungarian Jewish lawyers. He said, "You deliver the slips of paper and tell the people that if they report they will be deported."

There is much more at the Wiki link, including his 1992 Black Wednesday participation, "Open Society", "Media Matters", etc. Soros is a devout Leftist and the leading bankroller of all things Leftist. He is also 80 years old.

Edit 0600, 10/24/2010: A telling line from Wikipedia:

Victor Niederhoffer said of Soros: "Most of all, George believed even then in a mixed economy, one with a strong central international government (emphasis mine) to correct for the excesses of self-interest."

Three Charts

Deroy Murdock nails it at NRO.

This is all the Administration and Democrat leaders need to know to see why there is a TEA Party movement. Huge, out-of-control bureaucracy with far out of order pay and a complete disdain for the taxpayer coupled with declining private sector employment are a big slap in the face of the American people.

Michael Tomasky is RRRRRAAAACCCCIIIISSSTTT

From The Guardian:

But maybe he changed, too. Because what sort of non-conservative – one perceives Williams to be some degree of liberal; he'd probably protest that he's just a reporter; in either case, he's not a conservative – agreed to be an in-house flunky at Fox? I'm sure they offered him nice money, and money is money, and I can't say with certainty that I'd have turned it down if Rupert had waved it under my nose.

Isn't that the same as "House N-----"?

This should be a wake-up for Juan. You are only a good little African-American if you stay on the "Plantation" where the leftist power structure wants you. Once you leave that plantation, they will destroy you.

I like Williams. he is honest, earnest and makes good (wrong, but good) arguments. He's not shrill about it and respects those with whom he disagrees.

Juan: Here's an open invite. When you come to the Greater Milwaukee Metro area, look me up. Come to the house. We will have dinner and a couple beers and continue your journey to the Dark Side.

Juan....come to the Dark Side. We have cookies.

Republicans Only Kinda suck

A total steal from Whiskey.Tango.Foxtrot. who stole it herself.

Petroleum for How Much?

I was listening to a financial show on the radio a couple weeks ago. The guy who was on said if petroleum was not used as an "investment instrument", a barrel would cost about $10. I wondered about this, so I did a search and found this:

There are 42 gallons of oil in each barrel of oil. If the price of crude oil is $75 a barrel, the cost of the raw material required to produce a gallon of gasoline is $1.78. This figure does not include costs incurred to transport crude oil to a refinery, refine the oil into gasoline, transport the gasoline to distribution hubs or wholesalers, deliver the gasoline to retail locations or operate service stations.

The question then becomes, "why the difference?" Proved (that's the word EIA uses) world oil reserves are about 1.2 trillion barrels (this does not appear to include the Bakken Reserve).

This is an interesting paper that appears to show that "recoverable and unconventional sources" petroleum is much, much greater than "proven (their term) reserves". It also appears to debunk the claim that the Middle East holds 2/3 of all available petroleum. "Recoverable and unconventional sources" are not necessarily economically or technologically feasible to exploit...for now. I found the conclusion to be most illuminating.

I'm not sure I fully endorse this from CATO. But it's a worthwhile read as well.

From what I am seeing in these few articles, the price of oil is driven more by speculation and politics than by supply and demand.

Interesting Points

Maybe a little "conspiracy theory", but not too far off, IMHO.

The Chosen One....Remember

H/T: She of the Fuzzy Slippers.

Watch carefully and remember why you are voting.

Here We Go Again

Dude....seriously?

Scared? Not thinking clearly? Yes, of course. Because if we were thinking clearly, we would WANT an all powerful domestic government that has the power to just about anything. We want a leader who believes in "American Exceptionalism" in the same way Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism. We want to head down the Western European road of bankrupt Socialism and unbridled multiculturalism that is leading the Euros to complete destruction.

Yeah. We just aren't paying attention. Yeah.

Peter Berkowitz on the TEA Party Movement

This is good stuff. Berkowitz explores the response of the elites to the TEA Party Movement and why they have such disdain.

To be sure, the tea party sports its share of clowns, kooks and creeps. And some of its favored candidates and loudest voices have made embarrassing statements and embraced reckless policies. This, however, does not distinguish the tea party movement from the competition.

Born in response to President Obama's self-declared desire to fundamentally change America, the tea party movement has made its central goals abundantly clear. Activists and the sizeable swath of voters who sympathize with them want to reduce the massively ballooning national debt, cut runaway federal spending, keep taxes in check, reinvigorate the economy, and block the expansion of the state into citizens' lives.

In other words, the tea party movement is inspired above all by a commitment to limited government. And that does distinguish it from the competition.

The disdain of the elite comes from their ignorance not only of the TEA Party Movement, but of the origins and history of the US Constitution. Berkowitz is happy to point these out.

H/T Dad29

Iowahawk hits another Home Run. It's Presidential Zork.

This is at least as good as The Idiossey, featuring Obamacles.

Kathy Carpenter, RIP

H/T RealDebate

A great loss to this side of the Blogosphere.

A Modern US President

H/T Dad 29.

This might be the best Gilbert and Sullivan ....evah!

I posted this comment to a JS Online editorial today.

Once again, lefties...completely miss the mark. We don't want "Republicans". We want "Conservatives" and there is a huge difference. Constitutional Strict Constructionists. That is, the Constitution means what it says. If it didn't, there would be no need for the amendment process. Smaller government on all levels (the Left wants to portray that as "no government, but that's just a lie). Lower taxes (again, the Left claims we want "no taxes"...another lie). We want everyone to pay a fair share, not just the 51% who currently pay all the Federal Income Tax.

The hypocrisy runs both ways. A Democrat party that claims to be for "working families" routinely works against them with higher taxes, more regulation and "crony capitalism" (oh, look...that would make for another lie by the Left). The "Progressives" have systematically destroyed the social, moral, economic and Constitutional underpinnings of the United States for nearly 100 years. To believe otherwise is just denial. The majority is tired of it and the name-calling and bullying that has gone with it. If we do this right, we send Progressivism into the wilderness for the forseeable future. If we don't, shame on us.

Did I miss anything?

401k Seizure?

The Beer: Irish Red - Bottled. Liberty - In the secondary and to be kegged about Wednesday or so. Winter Ale - In the secondary; give it a week or so to bottling.

The Bicycle: Three weeks off the bike made me unprepared for 50 yesterday. Thanks to Glenn for the "magic beans" and to Glenn, Jeff and Yaakov just for putting up with me.

The VRWC: H/T Dad29. No, it's not what happens to you when you open your 401k statement.

Back a few months ago, I talked about the SEIU's wish to have the government confiscate your 401k to help fund their pension program. It's back. And in Lame Duck Session, I believe this Congress will have no qualms about making it real. Keep a close eye on this one.

"The Science is Settled"

Anthony Watts over at Watts Up With That writes about "Climatism". It's an excellent piece, but what really caught my attention was this by:

(Commenter) Mark says:

October 9, 2010 at 10:58 am

I’ve learned to hate the word science. “We were trying to perform science with this mission. The science we learned from the probe crashing into the planet, will advance science.”
Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”)”

During the Plague era, the science was settled. Before the invention of the microscope, the science was settled. Many people became sick because of bad air (“malaria”). The science was settled. Milk maids never became sick from small pox, because the science was settled.

Water was safe to drink, even though no one ever drank it, because the science was settled. Immunology never existed because the science was settled.

The science (knowledge) was never settled.
It was always questioned.

I hate science now, because it is never questioned. It is a fact. Just like the fact the the earth is the center of the universe. I hate science now because it has turned into “I am a scientist, and you’re not. Phhhtttt.” Unfortunately, I can imagine a world where Dr. Shinobu Ihsihara never discovered color vision deficiency. After all, the science was settled.

When everything is known, what is the reason to explore, to expand the boundaries of science? To doubt, and try to prove why you are right?

Science has never been about consensus. It has never been about performing the same experiment to the letter, as published in a journal. It is about results, and falsification.

Science proves nothing, but it disproves much.
Science. No pressure.

This might be the best articulation of how we skeptics feel about not only (alleged) AGW, but "Scientific Research" as well. Is anyone on the planet not aware of Breast Cancer with it in our face all the time? Does anyone else consider the possibility that research for cures to this disease, that disease or the other disease may be nothing more than a "jobs program"? Has science become politicized to the point where researchers will find what the provider of the grant wants?

Many will say that industry-funded research is tainted by definition. But I argue that government-funded research is almost certainly tainted by the political vision of whatever administration or bureaucracy is providing funding.

But that's just me.

Damning the (alleged) AGW Religion

The Beer: Bottling an Irish Red Ale tonight

The Bicycle: Looks like one more nice weekend of riding.

The VRWC: The resignation of Hal Lewis.

Horrible Tragedy

H/T: Starman

I hope this wakes some people up. Deekawife 3.0 worries about this any time I saddle-up.

As cyclists, we must always be aware of our surroundings. As motorists, we must recognize that bicycles can be everywhere. If everyone plays nice and follows the rules, this happens less often. There are at least 3 or 4 cyclists killed in Southeast Wisconsin every year. There are no accidents. What happens can always be traced to human error. Be careful out there.

Et Tu Katrina?

Katrina Vanden Heuvel thinks Democrats should run on Social Security.

Yes. Please do. The Social Security that has been raided by Congress for 30+ years now and has nothing but IOUs. The unsustainable Social Security that is moving toward having less than one worker per retiree. This is a great idea.

Is she a Republican plant, too?

Tell The Truth

H/T : Just a Conservative Girl



I know how the media works. I've caught them in lies first-hand. They lied about Vietnam. They lied about Three Mile Island and nuclear power. Now, they lie about the TEA Party movement.

No...more.

Is EJ Dionne a Republican Plant?

Run ON passing Obamacare? Really? Latest RCP average on Johnson vs. Feingold shows Johnson +8. This is since Rusty started running on Obamacare. RCP has Johnson up 12 and DailyKos has him up 11. So please keep running on Obamacare. Please.

Follow the Logic

The Beer: I brewed an Irish Red Ale Thursday night. Today, I will brew up a Liberty Ale. I may also complete my Winter Ale, but that is TBD.

The Bicycle: Picked up a sweet hard-tail Trek Mountain Bike from a guy at work. Best part? Price (or lack thereof).

The VRWC: I trade my labor for something of value (wages). Someone out there takes a portion of my wages for something they want. By extension, are they not helping themselves to my labor without compensating me? Is that not slavery? This is my argument against "entitlements".

Now, some will say, "I don't want my money to go to wars, but I pay taxes anyway". My response is that wars fall under "common defense". It is a legitimate function of the Federal government. We don't have to like it.

No entitlement falls within the bounds of the Constitution. That they exist does not legitimize them. Entitlement programs that "spread the wealth" violate the fifth, ninth and tenth amendments.

You have no right to the fruits of my labor.